Shooting implement



Aug. 20, 1940. F. M. NEW

SHOOTING IMPLEMENT Filed Aug. 51, 1939 INVENTOR. 0?:0 M /Vfh BY Patented Aug. 20, 1940 PATENT OFFICE SHOOTING IMPLEMENT Fred M. New, New York, N. Y., assignor to Fredcraft Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 31, 1939, Serial No. 292,828

4 Claims.

which means the object or its image to be aimed at may be made to appear to the eye of the shooter at a predetermined distance, although in fact the said object is stationarily fixed in relatively close proximity to the gun barrel.

It is another object of the present invention to combine a shooting apparatus with a device having telescopic characteristics but being of the reversed order, that is, a device adapted to throw the image of the object to an unexpected distance, thereby giving the impression to the shooter that the object or target to be shot at is at a much greater distance than it actually is.

2 A further object of the present invention is to provide a compact shooting apparatus where the target is in reality close to the barrel of the gun of the said shooting apparatus and made toappear at a great distance, thus providing a device which readily adapts itself for play or game and target practice.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide a sight device of the above nature to which the barrel of the gun which carries a sight piece may be relatively moved thereto to aid in the skill of the shooter.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide as an article of manufacture simple, inexpensive, efficient and practical shooting and sight means for efiecting the position or location of the image of a target or object, said shooting and said sight means being mounted within a housing forming a part of the shooting apparatus.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following disclosure thereof together with the attached drawing which illustrates certain forms -of' embodiments thereof. These forms are shown for the purpose of illustrating the invention since the same has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various parts of which the invention consists, can be variously arranged and organized and that the invention is not limitedto the precise arrangement and organization of the instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of main parts of apparatus made in accordance with the invention, the housing thereof being partly broken away and shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of an embodiment of the invention modified with respect to Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal view of the telescopic- 5 like sight device, parts beingin section.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4--4 of Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawing numeral I0 indicates a housing which may be cylindrical in 10 shape having a front wall II. Front wall II has an opening I2 (Fig. 1) through which projects inwardly and outwardly thereof a rifle I3 or like apparatus of conventional design, carrying at the muzzle I4 of its barrel I5 a sight piece I6 and 15 adjacent the opposite end of said barrel I5 a sight or optical device I! about to be described thereafter.

Rifle or gun I 3 is mounted for universal movement as at I8, on a pedestal I9 fixed to and sup- 20 ported by the inner wall 20 of housing I0.

Rear part of stock 2| and trigger 22 project from without the housing III, while the front part of stock 2|, barrel I5 and sight piece I6 are located within housing Ill. 25

Located along the middle line of the top of the barrel and fixed to stock 2| adjacent the breech of the shooting apparatus and in alignment with sight piece I Ii is the sight or optical device I! which corresponds to the conventional rear sight to guide the eye of the operator in aiming the fire arm. Instead-of this rear sight II being arranged so that it can be raised or lowered according to the range this sight device I! is fixed to the rifle I3, the latter being arranged for universal movement so that the sight device I! may be held in line with the target.

In Fig. 2 sight device He is fixedly mounted in an opening I2a of wall Ila of housing Illa, the front sight I60. being fixed to the top of the barrel 40 I511 at its muzzle end I4a through a stem 23.

While in the shooting apparatus of Fig. 1 the target or its projection (not shown) may be moved within the housing ID in any desired manner of location, the apparatus of Fig. 2 provides for the 45 target 24 being supported by housing Illa and arranged only within a location having a fixed relation with the stationary sight device IIa, so that, if front sight piece I6a of barrel I5a is brought in alignment with the sight device Ila (indicated by dash and dot lines) the target 24 will be hit.

Of course, it is well understood, that target 24 may be made to move, so that only at predetermined intervals target 24 is brought in alignment or registry with rear sight Ila.

Fig. 3 shows in detail a form of telescopic sight device I! or Ila for use in the aforementioned apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2, respectively.

This sight device I! or I'la consists of a tubular member 25 having an outer annulus 26 spaced from. its inwardly extending tubular portion 2'! by means of the flange or shoulder 28, which borders the sight opening 29. Annulus 26 is provided with an inturned rim 39 sliclably fitting within the annular groove 3i of longitudinal outertube 32 which may be tapered toward its front opening 33. Tubular portion 21. threadedly engages as, at 34, an inner tube 35 at its enlarged end portion 36.

It can be thus readily seen that rotation of member 25 through its annulus 28 will cause the inner tube 35 to be longitudinally extended or retracted with relation to outer tube 32. To facilitate guidance of this sliding movement, there may be provided on the inner wall of tube 32 a slide- Way 3'1 slidingly accommodating a longitudinal slide 38 forming part of the enlarged end portion 36 of said tube 35.

Fixed within member 25 and inner tube 35 are suitable lenses A, B, C of different focal lengths (A and B having each a greater focal length than C) and adapted to throw the image of an object or target viewed therethrough from said opening 29 at a greater distance than the target or object actually is from said opening 29. It is to be noted that the same effect is produced as when viewing an object or target through the reversed end of binoculars or like glasses and therefore it is not deemed necessary to describe in more detail this viewing effect or the instrumentalities employed in causing the same. To facilitate the accurate locating of the target, lens A or opening 29 is provided with conventional crosslines (not shown), the intersection of which is employed in the usual manner to aline with the center of the target.

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thus provided in an apparatus of the character described having a swingable gun carrying a sight piece on the barrel thereof, and a target located at a predetermined distance from said sight piece, and having further a supportfor said gun and said target; an optical device located adjacent said gun and operable with said sight piece for optical alignment of said device through said sight piece with said target, said device including at least two lenses, one of said lenses having a greater focal length than the other of said lenses, the lens having the greater focal length being positioned adjacent the eye of the observer when viewing therethrough, and remote from said target, the lens having the shorter focal length being arranged between said target and said one of said lenses whereby the image of said target appears to the eye of the observer at a distance greater than said predetermined distance. The device of the above nature possesses the particular features of advantages before enumerated as desirable, but which obviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions, detail construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

While there has been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to the above embodiments, it will be understood that various admissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

By way of examples there may be provided number and/or types of lenses suitable for the purpose intended and one or more lenses may be relatively stationary instead of being movable.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. In an apparatus of the character described having a swingable gun carrying a sight piece on the barrel thereof, and a target located at a predetermined distance from said sight piece, and having further a support for said gun and said target; an optical device located adjacent said gun and cooperable with said sight piece for optical alignment of said device through said sight piece with said target, said device including at least two lenses, one of said lenses having a greater focal length than the other of said lenses, the lens having the greater focal length being positioned adjacent the eye of the observer when viewing therethrough, and remote from said target, the lens having the shorter focal length being arranged between said target and said one of said lenses whereby the image of said target appears to the eye of the observer at a distance greater than said predetermined distance.

2. In an apparatus of the character described equipped with a swingable gun carrying a sight piece on the barrel thereof, and with a target located at a predetermined distance from said sight piece, and having further a support for said gun and said target; an optical device located adjacent said gun and cooperable with said sight piece for optical alignment of said device through said sight piece with said target, said device including relatively movable telescopic tubes each carrying a lens, one of said lenses having a greater focal length than the other of said lenses, the lens having the greater focal length being positioned adjacent the eye of the observer when viewing therethrough, and remote from said target, the lens having the shorter focal length being arranged 'between said target and said one of said lenses whereby the image of said target appears to the eye of the observer at a distance greater than said predetermined distance.

3. In an apparatus of the character described equipped with a swingable gun carrying a sight pieceon the barrel thereof, and with a target located at a predetermined distance from said sight piece, and having further a support for said gun and said target; an optical device fixedly located on said support adjacent said gun and cooperable with said sight piece for optical alignment of said device through said sight piece with said target, said device including relatively movabletelescopic tubes each carrying a lens, one of said lenses having a greater focal length than the other of said lenses, the lens having the greater focal length being positioned adjacent the eye of the observer when viewing therethrough, and remote fromsaid target, the lens having the shorter focal length being arranged between said target and said one of said lenses whereby the image of said target appears to the eye of the observer at a distance greater than said predetermined distance.

4. In an apparatus of the character described equipped with a gun carrying a sight piece on the barrel thereof, and with a target at a predetermined distance from said sight piece, and having further a support for said target and for swingably holding said gun thereon; a telescope device connected to said gun and swingable therewith, said device being cooperable with said sight piece for optical alignment thereof with said target and including at least two lenses adjustably and alignedly arranged with respect to said telescope device, one of said lenses having a greater focal length than the other of said lenses, the lens having the greater focal length being positioned adjacent the eye of the observer when viewing therethrough, and remote from said target, the lens having the shorter focal length being arranged between said target and said one of said lenses whereby the image of said target appears to the eye of the observer at a distance greater than said predetermined distance.

FRED M. NEW. 

